KEYSTONE EXAM STUDY GUIDE

1. Affix: One or more letters occurring as a bound form attached to the

beginning, end, or base of a word and serving to produce a
derivative word or an inflectional form (e.g., a prefix or suffix).
a. Explain how the affixes affect the following words:
Depress + ing = depressing

Ex + press = express

In + consistent = inconsistent

Transcend + ed = transcended

2. Allegory: A form of extended metaphor in which objects, persons,

and actions in a narrative are equated with meanings that lie
outside the narrative itself. The underlying meaning may have
moral, social, religious, or political significance, and characters are
often personifications of abstract ideas such as charity, greed, or
envy.
a. Example:

3. Alliteration: The repetition of initial sounds in neighboring words.

a. Example:

4. Allusion: An implied or indirect reference in literature to a familiar

person, place, or event.
a. Example:

5. Analysis: The process or result of identifying the parts of a whole

and their relationships to one another.
6. Antonym: A word that is the opposite in meaning to another word.
a. Example:_________________istheoppositeof
___________________

7. Argument/Position: The position or claim the author establishes.

Arguments should be supported with valid evidence and reasoning
and balanced by the inclusion of counterarguments that illustrate
opposing viewpoints.

Example:Argument
Example:Counterargument
8. Authors Purpose: The authors intent either to inform or teach
someone about something, to entertain people or to persuade or
convince his/her audience to do or not do something.
9. Bias: The subtle presence of a positive or negative approach toward
a topic.
10. Biography: A written account of another person's life.

11. Character: A person, animal or inanimate object portrayed in a

literary work.
12. Characterization: The method an author uses to reveal characters
and their various traits and personalities (e.g., direct, indirect).
a. Direct characterization:List3possiblecharactertraits:

b. Indirect characterization:DefineSTEAL:
S:

T:

E:

A:

L:

13. Climax: The turning point in a narrative; the moment when the
conflict is at its most intense. Typically, the structure of stories,
novels, and plays is one of rising action, in which tension builds to
the climax.
a. What was the climax in In the Time of the Butterflies?

14. Compare/Contrast: Place together characters, situations, or ideas to

show common and/or differing features in literary selections.
a. Compare/Contrast Dede and Minerva from Butterflies:

15. Conflict/Problem: A struggle or clash between opposing characters,

forces, or emotions.

List the five major kinds of conflict:

a. Personvs.
b. Personvs.
c. Personvs.
d. Personvs.
e. Personvs.

16. Connotation: The range of associations that a word or phrase

suggests in addition to its dictionary meaning.
a. Denotation: curt

b. Connotation: curt

17. Context Clues: Words and phrases in a sentence, paragraph, and/or

whole text, which help reason out the meaning of an unfamiliar
word.
a. Circle the context clues that help you figure out the meaning
of the underlined word, then suggest a definition below:
Despite the previews being mind-blowingly awesome and thrilling, the
movie was so grunztwold that I slept through most of it.
Definition:

18. Cultural Significance: The generally accepted importance of a work

representing a given culture.

19. Defense of a Claim: Support provided to mark an assertion as

reasonable.
20. Dialect: A variety of a language distinct from the standard variety in
pronunciation, grammar, or vocabulary.
a. List 3 examples of Philly slang dialect:

21. Dialogue: In its widest sense, dialogue is simply conversation

between characters or speakers in a literary work; in its most
restricted sense, it refers specifically to the speech of characters in
a drama.
22. Diction: An authors choice of words, phrases, sentence structures
and figurative language, which combine to help create meaning and
tone.
23. Differentiate: Distinguish, tell apart, and recognize differences
between two or more items.
24. Drama: The genre of literature represented by works intended for
the stage; a work to be performed by actors on stage, radio, or
television; play.
Dramatic Script: The written text of a play, which includes the
dialogue between characters, stage directions and often other
expository information.
25. Draw Conclusion: To make a judgment or decision based on
reasoning rather than direct or implicit statement.
26. Elements of Fiction: Traits that mark a work as imaginative or
narrative discourse (e.g., plot, theme, symbol).
27. Elements of Nonfiction: Traits that mark a work as reportorial,
analytical, informative or argumentative (e.g., facts, data, charts,
graphics, headings).
28. Evaluate: Examine and judge carefully. To judge or determine the
significance, worth or quality of something; to assess.
29. Explain: To make understandable, plain or clear.

30. Explicit: Clearly expressed or fully stated in the actual text.

31. Exposition: A narrative device, often used at the beginning of a work
that provides necessary background information about the
characters and their circumstances.
32. Fact: A piece of information provided objectively, presented as true.
33. Falling Action: The part of a literary plot that is characterized by
diminishing tensions and the resolution of the plots conflicts and
complications.
34. Fiction: Any story that is the product of imagination rather than a
documentation of fact. Characters and events in such narratives
may be based in real life but their ultimate form and configuration is
a creation of the author.
35. Figurative Language: Language that cannot be taken literally since it
was written to create a special effect or feeling.
a. Describe something you see using figurative language:

36. First Person: The first person or personal point of view relates
events as they are perceived by a single character. The narrating
character may offer opinions about the action and characters that
differ from those of the author.
a. Write a sentence in First Person narration:

37. Flashback: An organizational device used in literature to present

action that occurred before current (present) time of the story.

Flashbacks are often introduced as the dreams or recollections of

one or more characters.
a. Example:

38. Focus: The center of interest or attention.

39. Foreshadowing: An organizational device used in literature to create
expectation or to set up an explanation of later developments.
a. Example:

40. Generalization: A conclusion drawn from specific information that is

used to make a broad statement about a topic or person.
a. Make a generalization about this character based on these
facts:
Shehasnoclosefriends,herchildrendontspeaktoheranymore,sheis
divorced,andshecantkeepajob.

41. Genre: A category used to classify literary works, usually by form,

technique or content (e.g., prose, poetry).
a. List the genre of the following works:
i. AnnieJohnbyKincaid

________________________

ii. ButterfliesbyAlvarez

________________________

iii. ThingsFallApartbyAchebe ________________________

iv. ShakespearesSonnets

________________________

v. AnnabelLeebyPoe

________________________

vi. OnSeeingEnglandbyKincaid______________________
42. Headings, Graphics and Charts: Any visual cues on a page of text that
offer additional information to guide the readers comprehension.
Headings typically are words or phrases in bold print that indicate a
topic or the theme of a portion of text; graphics may be
photographs, drawings, maps or any other pictorial representation;
charts (and tables or graphs) condense data into a series of rows,
lines or other shortened lists.
43. Hyperbole: An exaggeration or overstatement (e.g., I had to wait
forever.)
a. Example:

44. Imagery: Descriptive or figurative language in a literary work; the

use of language to create sensory impressions.
a. Example using imagery to describe your last meal:

45. Implicit: Though unexpressed in the actual text, meaning that may
be understood by the reader; implied.
a. Match the terms on the left to their definition on the right:
Connotative
Denotative
Explicit

Implicit

Implied
Clearlystated(obvious)

46. Inference: A judgment based on reasoning rather than on a direct or

explicit statement. A conclusion based on facts or circumstances;
understanding gained by reading between the lines.
47. Informational Text: Nonfiction written primarily to convey factual
information. Informational texts comprise the majority of printed
material adults read (e.g., textbooks, newspapers, reports,
directions, brochures, technical manuals).
48. Interpret: To give reasons through an explanation to convey and
represent the meaning or understanding of a text.
49. Irony: The use of a word or phrase to mean the exact opposite of its
literal or usual meaning; incongruity between the actual result of a
sequence of events and the expected result.
a. Example:

50. Key/Supporting Details: Points of information in a text that strongly

support the meaning or tell the story. Statements that define,
describe, or otherwise provide information about the topic, theme,
or main idea.
51. Key Words: Specific word choices in a text that strongly support the
tone, mood, or meaning of the text.
52. Literary Device: Tool used by the author to enliven and provide voice
to the text (e.g., dialogue, alliteration).
53. Literary Element: An essential technique used in literature (e.g.,
characterization, setting, plot, theme).
54. Literary Form: The overall structure or shape of a work that
frequently follows an established design. Forms may refer to a
literary type (narrative, short story) or to patterns of meter, lines,
and rhymes (stanza, verse).
55. Literary Movement: A trend or pattern of shared beliefs or practices
that mark an approach to literature (e.g., Realism, Naturalism,
Romanticism).

a. Example of a novel and the literary movement it belongs to:

56. Literary Nonfiction: Text that includes literary elements and devices
usually associated with fiction to report on actual persons, places, or
events. Examples include nature and travel text, biography, memoir
and the essay.
a. Example:

57. Main Idea: The authors central thought; the chief topic of a text
expressed or implied in a word or phrase; the topic sentence of a
paragraph.
58. Metaphor: The comparison of two unlike things in which no words of
comparison (like or as) are used (e.g., The speech gave me food for
thought.)
a. Example:

59. Monologue: An extended speech spoken by one speaker, either to

others or as if alone.
60. Mood: The prevailing emotions or atmosphere of a work derived
from literary devices such as dialogue and literary elements such as
setting. The mood of a work is not always what might be expected
based on its subject matter.
a. How would you describe the mood of Annie John?

61. Motif: A recurring subject, theme, or idea in a literary work.

a. Example of a motif from Butterflies:

62. Multiplemeaning Words: Words that have several meanings

depending upon how they are used in a sentence.
a. Example of a word and its two or more meanings:

63. Narrative: A story, actual or fictional, expressed orally or in text.

64. Narrator: A person, animal, or thing telling the story or giving an
account of something.
65. Nonfiction: Text that is not fictional; designed primarily to explain,
argue, instruct or describe rather than entertain. For the most part,
its emphasis is factual.
a. Example:

66. Opinion: A personal view, attitude, or appraisal.

67. Personification: An object or abstract idea given human qualities or
human form (e.g., Flowers danced about the lawn.)
a. Example:

68. Plot: The structure of a story. The sequence in which the author
arranges events in a story. The structure often includes the rising
action, the climax, the falling action, and the resolution. The plot

may have a protagonist who is opposed by an antagonist, creating

what is called conflict.
a. Example of a protagonist and antagonist from any story:

69. Poetry: In its broadest sense, text that aims to present ideas and
evoke an emotional experience in the reader through the use of
meter, imagery and connotative and concrete words. Some poetry
has a carefully constructed structure based on rhythmic patterns.
Poetry typically relies on words and expressions that have several
layers of meaning (figurative language). It may also make use of the
effects of regular rhythm on the ear and may make a strong appeal
to the senses through the use of imagery.
70. Point of View: The position of the narrator in relation to the story, as
indicated by the narrators outlook from which the events are
depicted (e.g., first person, third person limited, third person
omniscient, etc). The perspective from which a speaker or author
recounts a narrative or presents information. The authors manner
in revealing characters, events, and ideas; the vantage point from
which a story is told.
71. Prefix: Groups of letters placed before a word to alter its meaning.
a. Define the following prefixes:
i. Ex:
ii. In:
iii. Con:
iv. Pre:
v. Sub:
vi. De:

72. Propaganda: Information aimed at positively or negatively

influencing the opinions or behaviors of large numbers of people.
73. Propaganda Techniques: Propaganda techniques and persuasive
tactics are used to influence people to believe, buy or do something.
Students should be able to identify and comprehend the
propaganda
techniques and persuasive tactics listed below.
a. Namecalling: is an attack on a person instead of an issue.
Example:

b. Bandwagon: tries to persuade the reader to do, think or buy

something because it is popular or because everyone is
doing it.
Example:

c. Red herring: is an attempt to distract the reader with details

not relevant to the argument.
Example:

d. Emotional appeal: tries to persuade the reader by using

words that appeal to the readers emotions instead of
appealing to logic or reason.
Example:

e. Testimonial: attempts to persuade the reader by using a

famous person to endorse a product or idea (for instance,
the celebrity endorsement).
Example:

f. Repetition: attempts to persuade the reader by repeating a

message over and over again.
Example:

g. Sweeping generalization: (stereotyping) makes an

oversimplified statement about a group based on limited
information.
Example:

h. Circular argument: states a conclusion as part of the proof

of the argument.
Example:

i. Appeal to numbers, facts, or statistics: attempts to persuade

the reader by showing how many people think something
is true.
Example:

74. Resolution: The portion of a story following the climax in which the
conflict is resolved. The resolution of Jane Austens Northanger Abbey
is neatly summed up in the following sentence: Henry and
Catherine were married, the bells rang and everybody smiled.
75. Rising Action: The part of a story where the plot becomes
increasingly complicated. Rising action leads up to the climax, or
turning point.
76. Satire: A literary approach that ridicules or examines human vice or
weakness.
77. Sentence Variety: Various sentence structures, styles, and lengths
that can enhance the rhythm of or add emphasis to a piece of text.
The presence of multiple sentence structures in a text (simple,
complex, compound, compoundcomplex) and/or various sentence
beginnings (e.g., dependent and independent clauses, phrases,
single words).
78. Setting: The time and place in which a story unfolds.
79. Simile: A comparison of two unlike things in which a word of
comparison (like or as) is used (e.g., The ant scurried as fast as a
cheetah.)
a. Example:

80. Soliloquy: A dramatic speech, revealing inner thoughts and feelings,

spoken aloud by one character while alone on the stage.
81. Sound Devices: Elements of literature that emphasize sound (e.g.,
assonance, consonance, alliteration, rhyme, onomatopoeia).
a. Example of assonance:
b. Example of consonance:
c. Example of slant rhyme:

d. Example of onomatopoeia:

82. Speaker: The voice used by an author to tell/narrate a story or

poem. The speaker is often a created identity, and should not
automatically be equated with the author. See also narrator and
point of view.
a. How is the speaker of Annie John different from Jamaica
Kincaid?

83. Stage Direction: A playwrights written instructions provided in the

text of a play about the setting or how the actors are to move and
behave in a play.
84. Structure of Poem: The rhyming pattern, meter, grammar, and
imagery used by a poet to convey meaning.
85. Style: The authors choices regarding language, sentence structure,
voice, and tone in order to communicate with the reader.
86. Suffix: Groups of letters placed after a word to alter its meaning or
change it into a different kind of word, from an adjective to an
adverb, etc.
87. Summarize: To capture all of the most important parts of the original
text (paragraph, story, poem), but express them in a much shorter
space, and as much as possible in the readers own words.
88. Symbolism: A device in literature where an object represents an
idea.
a. Example:

89. Synonym: A word that is similar in meaning to another word (e.g.,

sorrow, grief, sadness).
a. Example: ________________ is a synonym for
_________________

90. Syntax: The ordering of words into meaningful verbal patterns such
as phrases, clauses, and sentences.
91. Text Organization/Structure: The authors method of structuring a
text; the way a text is structured from beginning to end. In literary
works, the structure could include flashback and foreshadowing, for
example. In nonfiction works, the structure could include sequence,
questionanswer, causeeffect, etc.
92. Theme: A topic of discussion or work; a major idea broad enough to
cover the entire scope of a literary work. A theme may be stated or
implied. Clues to the theme may be found in the prominent and/or
reoccurring ideas in a work.
93. Third Person: A perspective in literature, the third person point of
view presents the events of the story from outside of any single
characters perception, much like the omniscient point of view, but
the reader must understand the action as it takes place and without
any special insight into characters minds or motivations.
a. Write a sentence in Third Person narration:

94. Tone: The attitude of the author toward the audience, characters,
subject or the work itself (e.g., serious, humorous).
a. List three words that suggest each tone:
i. Negative:

ii. Positive:

iii. Neutral:

iv. Sad:

95. Universal Character: A character that symbolically embodies well

known meanings and basic human experiences, regardless of when
or where he/she lives (e.g., hero, villain, intellectual, dreamer).
a. List 3 examples from well known stories:

96. Universal Significance: The generally accepted importance or value

of a work to represent human experience regardless of culture or
time period.
97.

Voice: The fluency, rhythm, and liveliness in a text that make it

unique to the author.